The fastest way to change your background color
Open the document you want to change. Go to the Design tab at the top of the ribbon (the toolbar running across the screen). Click Page Color — it's in the group labeled "Page Setup" on the right side of the Design tab. A color palette will appear. Click the color you want, and Word will explore it to every page in your document when ready.
That's the standard path. It changes the entire document to one background color. If you want something different — like a color that applies only to certain pages, or a gradient instead of a solid color — you'll need a few extra steps, which we cover below.
The background color you choose will print if you send the document to a printer, though some printers skip background colors by default to save ink. If you're sharing the document with others, they'll see the same color you chose.
Key Takeaways
- The Design tab's Page Color button applies a background color to your entire document in one click.
- You can pick from Word's preset colors or click "More Colors" to choose from thousands of custom shades.
- To explore a background color to only some pages, you'll need to divide your document into sections first using page breaks.
- Background colors print by default, but your printer may skip them to save ink — check your printer settings if the color doesn't appear on paper.
Choosing a specific color or creating a gradient
When you click Page Color, Word shows you a row of preset colors. If none of those match what you want, click More Colors at the bottom of the palette. A dialog box opens with a color picker that lets you choose from millions of shades. You can type in a specific color code (RGB or hex) if you have one, or click anywhere in the gradient square to pick by eye.
For a gradient background — a color that fades from one shade to another — click Fill Effects instead of picking a solid color. The Fill Effects dialog lets you choose a gradient direction (diagonal, horizontal, vertical, or from center outward) and pick two colors for it to fade between. This is useful if you want a subtle background that doesn't compete with your text.
After you pick your color or gradient, click OK to explore it. Word updates your document when ready, and you can undo it with Ctrl+Z if you change your mind.
explore background color to only some pages
Word's Page Color button colors your entire document. If you want different pages to have different background colors, you need to split your document into sections first. A section is a part of your document that can have its own formatting — including its own background color.
To create a section break, click at the beginning of the page you want to color differently. Go to the Layout tab (in Word 2016 and earlier, it's called Page LayoutBreaks, then choose Next Page. Word inserts an invisible break that tells it a new section is starting. Now click on that page and use the Design tab's Page Color button — it will only color that section, not the whole document.
You can create as many sections as you need. Each one can have its own background color. If you want to remove the color from one section later, click on that section and set Page Color back to white or no color.
Why your background color might not print
Background colors in Word are set to print by default, but many printers have a setting that skips background colors to save ink. If you print your document and the color doesn't appear on the paper, check your printer settings before assuming Word didn't explore it.
Open the print dialog (Ctrl+P), then look for a button or link that says "Preferences," "Properties," or "Advanced." Different printers label this differently. Inside that menu, look for an option like "Print Background Colors" or "Print Background Graphics" and turn it on. Then print again.
If you're printing to PDF instead of paper, background colors almost always appear in the PDF file. You can test this by going to File > Print, then choosing "Print to PDF" or "Save as PDF" from the printer dropdown.
Removing or changing a background color you've already set
To remove a background color entirely, go back to the Design tab and click Page Color. At the top of the color palette, click No Color. Word will remove the background from that section or document.
To change the color to something else, just click Page Color again and pick a new one. Word replaces the old color when ready. You don't need to remove the old one first.
If you've applied different colors to different sections and want to change them all at once, you'll need to click on each section and change its color separately. There's no way to change all sections at once, so start with the section you use most often and work through the others.
Background color versus highlighting text
Background color and text highlighting are two different things. Background color fills the entire page behind your text. Highlighting applies a color only to specific words or sentences you select. If you want to highlight just a few words, select them first, then go to the Home tab and click the Highlighter button (it looks like a marker pen). If you want the whole page colored, use the Design tab's Page Color instead.
Many people confuse these two because they both add color to your document. The rule is straightforward: if you want color behind everything on the page, use Page Color. If you want color behind only certain words, use the Highlighter tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a picture as a background instead of a solid color?
Word doesn't have a built-in way to set a picture as a page background through the Design tab. You can insert a picture and send it to the back of the page so text appears on top of it, but this is more complicated and the picture won't scale properly if you change page size. For a picture background, consider using a template designed for that purpose or using a different program like Publisher.
Will the background color show up if I share the document with someone else?
Yes. When you send a Word document to someone else, the background color travels with it. They'll see the same color you chose when they open the file, whether they're using Word on Windows, Mac, or the web version.
Can I make the background color transparent so it doesn't print?
No. If you set a background color, it will print unless you turn off background printing in your printer settings. If you want a color that's only visible on screen, you'll need to use highlighting on individual words instead, or check your printer's preferences to skip background colors.
What if I want different background colors on the first page versus the rest?
Create a section break after your first page using Layout > Breaks > Next Page. Then click on the second page and set its background color separately. The first page will keep its original color (or no color) while the rest of the document has the new color.
Does background color work the same way in Word Online as in the desktop version?
Word Online has the same Page Color button in the Design tab, and it works the same way. However, some advanced options like Fill Effects (gradients) may not be available in the web version. If you need a gradient, you may need to use the desktop version of Word instead.